The opportunity to utilize wireless features in a mobile vehicle is ever increasing as the automobile is being transformed into a communications and entertainment platform as well as a transportation platform. Wireless features include wireless vehicle communication, networking, maintenance and diagnostic services for a mobile vehicle.
Typically, conventional wireless systems within mobile vehicles (e.g. telematics units) provide voice communication. Recently, these wireless systems have been utilized to update systems within telematics units, such as, for example radio station presets. Telematics units contain wireless network access devices, such as, for example embedded digital and analog mobile telephones. Similar to other conventional wireless systems, telematics units within mobile vehicles are required to regularly register with a wireless carrier system. This registration is called a registration request. The registration request, when successfully completed via an acknowledgement from the wireless carrier, indicates that the network access device portion of the telematics unit is operational.
While the process of performing an individual registration request does not consume a great deal of system power, prolonged operation of registration requests, such as, for example every ten minutes will result in a system energy level reduction below an acceptable threshold. Typically, mobile vehicles are operated frequently enough that the system energy level does not drop below the acceptable threshold. Additionally, a time limit (e.g. 48 hours) is generally established at which point the telematics unit ceases substantially all activity so as to maintain enough energy within the system to operate other more necessary activities, such as, for example a security system and a mobile vehicle starting system.
Unfortunately, differing circumstances, such as, ambient temperature may result in energy levels within the power system decreasing at unpredictable rates. For example, if a mobile vehicle is operating in a low temperature environment, the energy level within the system may deteriorate to an unacceptable level prior to the expiration of the aforementioned time limit.
The present invention addresses these and other issues and advances the state of the art.